


Fate Up Against Your Will

by imagineyou (jokerindisguise), jokerindisguise



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst, Apocalypse, Canon Divergence, F/M, Reader Has a Power, Reader-Insert, Slow Burn, Time Travel, wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:40:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27160588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jokerindisguise/pseuds/imagineyou, https://archiveofourown.org/users/jokerindisguise/pseuds/jokerindisguise
Summary: The Handler calls herself your mother, but as you grow older, you know she's anything but a reliable parental figure. You're desperate to get away from her, so you attempt to change the course of events. Unfortunately, your plan was doomed from the start. Now, you're stuck in the aftermath of an apocalypse with the infamous Five and your power seems to have had an unintended effect on his recently deceased brother.
Relationships: Klaus Hargreeves/Reader
Comments: 24
Kudos: 59





	Fate Up Against Your Will

**Author's Note:**

> Here's a new Klaus Hargreeves/Reader series absolutely no one asked for! I know this might be a bit confusing, but I swear I'm going to iron out the details. Just stick with me.   
> Title comes from The Killing Moon by Echo and the Bunnymen.

You didn't remember much of your life before The Handler came to pick you up from your childhood home. 

You remembered a couple in a small home. They were nice and comforting and loving. You were sure they were your parents, but you only had a few precious years with them before your entire life was upended. As you got older, memories of them faded only to be replaced with moments with The Handler and Lila. 

The Handler insisted you call her mom and told you Lila was your sister. You didn’t trust The Handler and you were never sure what to make of Lila. 

The woman who claimed to be your mother raised you to be a killer. She taught you along with Lila how to dodge bullets and throw a punch. She instructed you on the best ways to slip poison into someone's food or drink undetected and made you take hit after hit until you knew how to build up your tolerance to pain. She made you withstand torture just so you wouldn't give up information so easily if pressured. 

Lila threw herself recklessly into the training, but you came to resent The Handler for every early morning session. You didn’t want to know what a bullet wound felt like and you certainly didn’t want to watch the life slip away from someone because of your actions. You wanted an escape, but you didn’t have anywhere else to go. 

She claimed that when you and Lila were old enough, you would become partners and be sent on missions for the Temps Commission. You knew Lila was more than eager to join the company, a bloodlust within her that you found unsettling at times. She believed all the bullshit your mother fed her. She really thought that The Handler held any love for you beyond what you could give her through the powers you possessed. 

But you were forced to learn the truth when you were only a teenager. 

You came into your powers gradually over the years. The first time you brought a baby bird to life in your parent's garden at the age of three, you thought it was normal. You thought all dead things were supposed to spring back to life after a few moments of peaceful rest. You didn't understand why your mother had tears in her eyes or why half of her garden was abruptly dead and wilted. You didn't get the hushed conversations your parents had about you behind the closed door of their bedroom. You didn’t know why they kept shooting you wary looks while hesitantly comforting you when you cried at their weird behavior. 

You didn't understand their fear. 

As time wore on, you realized that you could bring dead things to life, but there was always a cost. You had to trade life for life and sometimes the cost was too heavy. Sometimes it felt like it took a piece of you to make the transaction, a rush of energy that abandoned you as you transferred one life force to another. 

You could also get bits of information from the dead. When you touched them, sometimes you could see their final moments or a slideshow of memories they held dear. You learned innocuous tidbits like favorite foods or colors. Sometimes it left you with cravings for foods you had never tasted before, the rich and decadent first bite of a strawberry cream pie or a piece of brisket that was so tender it practically fell apart in your mouth. You learned about secrets, hidden money, and past sins. You felt a range of emotions, from fear to elation to surprise. It left you with the impressions of the dead as they faded, disorienting you for a few moments as you forced yourself to separate their parting moments from your own memories and feelings. 

Sometimes you had nightmares about waking up wearing the faces of the dead you confronted. You thought they would begin to erase you as they all attempted to gain purchase, grasping at the lives they were forced to leave behind. You worried that you would be helpless to become them if you spent too long with them, but you didn’t have much of a choice. 

It wasn't until you got older that you began to realize that wasn't all you could do. 

You found out the hard way that when you watched someone die, you could also feel the rush of their life force as it left their body. You could redirect it into anything you wanted, lending a vitality that would guarantee at least a few extra years for whatever you chose. 

The Handler, when she found out, began to take you on 'secret' missions. She would make you swear you wouldn't tell Lila as she led you out of Temps Commission HQ. She told you that Lila wasn't ready for these kinds of missions and would only get jealous. You didn’t understand why Lila would miss out on watching The Handler kill someone, but you realized as the missions grew in frequency, that The Handler was going rogue. 

She wasn’t supposed to be going on the missions. She wasn’t supposed to bring you along. She wasn’t supposed to ask you to use your power for her own selfish gain. 

When you realized she was making you her unwilling accomplice, you started to wish for an escape you weren’t sure would ever come. 

She pointed the gun and pulled the trigger, but you gifted the victim's waning life force to The Handler. It made you feel like you were just as guilty as her. 

As you got older, you began to hear the rumors circling the company that claimed she had nine lives, and in a way, she did. She was greedily taking life after life in the hopes that it would make her invincible. You noticed she healed quicker and could withstand more as your missions continued. 

You started to fear that she would become immortal if you kept letting her use your power. 

You only realized there was something not quite right with the whole picture when you hit your twenties. You knew that you needed information, because you were missing something vital. Nothing really made sense to you the longer you thought about it, so you resolved to figure it out in any way you could. 

It took you a while to break into the file rooms, because if The Handler wasn't watching you, then Lila was. You had to wait until both were distracted to try to find out the information you wanted. You needed to know more about The Handler and you had to find out more about the company. 

Why you? Why Lila? Were you targeted? Did The Handler know who you were and what you were capable of when she scooped you both up after the tragic deaths of your parents? 

When you found what you were looking for, you weren't quite sure what to do with it. It was a shock to see the evidence for yourself. You had always suspected that nothing quite added up, but to see it written so plainly in a file was something you struggled to embrace. 

The company had ordered the deaths of your parents. They had also ordered the deaths of Lila's. In a dizzying twist, it seemed both kills were carried out by an agent named Five. 

But something seemed off about the information. Your parents weren't dangerous and could in no way influence the timeline. Lila's parents owned a flower shop. What the hell were they going to do that would have some great impact on the world? 

Unless, of course, it wasn't your parents that were the targets. 

It was you and Lila. 

You started to put together the pieces, all of them coming together to form an alarming picture. 

The Handler had stolen you away at a young age and had raised you as her own. She claimed to love you, but she put you through literal hell, and only used you for your power. 

That wasn't love. It was manipulation. It was abuse. It was a love that was only given under the condition that you did exactly what she wanted. 

She wasn’t your mother. She was your captor. 

You started paying more attention and spying on The Handler when you could. You heard tales of the infamous Five and all of his legendary kills as a Temps Commission assassin. Your mother had an obsession with him that you couldn't quite understand, but you knew that Five was regarded as one of the best the company had ever employed. 

You also knew that he somehow played a part in the death of your parents. 

The more you tried to uncover, the more you realized your life was a lie. There was no future for you, because there was an apocalypse coming. If all life ceased to exist in 2019, then what was the point of continuing to fix the timeline? Why not prevent the apocalypse if at all possible? 

You weren’t sure why the world had to end, but you felt the need to do something. You knew very little about what caused all life on the planet to perish in one fell swoop, but you were sure of one thing. 

Somehow, Five was involved. 

You started planning your escape not long after you learned of the apocalypse of 2019. You were sure it was information you weren't supposed to know, and while you were training to be a Temps Commission agent, you couldn't help but want to change the timeline against their wishes. You were breaking rule after rule in the hopes that you were going to be able to save countless lives. Although, you couldn’t deny that you did have a few selfish intentions where your rescue mission was concerned. 

You studied the timeline of events, taking note of when events lined up to strand Five in the aftermath of the apocalypse. You couldn't help but think that if the Commission never got their hooks into him, then maybe events would change. Maybe if Five didn't get stuck in the future, then he could prevent the apocalypse. Maybe if you warned him of what was to come before he ever saw the disastrous results, then he would know what to do in order to stop it. Maybe if he never worked for the Commission, then your parents would live. If your parents lived, then you wouldn’t have to suffer through The Handler’s parenting or be forced through the Temps Commission’s rigorous training program. You wouldn’t have to kill in order to gain the favor of your so-called mother. You wouldn’t know death as if it was a friend you were forced to socialize with and you wouldn’t have to worry that Lila was going to betray you one day. 

You would be free. 

You didn't know what caused the apocalypse, because that seemed to be information you wouldn't be able to get your hands on without calling attention to what you were doing. But you were sure that if Five knew of what was to come, then he could watch for the signs. He was extremely intelligent and lethal according to his files, and you were sure those qualities would still be just as proficient even without his Temps Commission training. 

You had to stop Five from putting himself into a situation where he needed rescuing. If your mother never recruited him, then maybe your life could change. 

It was a convoluted plan that you knew had very little hope of succeeding, but you had to try something. You were desperate for an escape and even if it ended with The Handler putting a bullet through your skull, then it was better than having to attempt to prolong her life with the stolen moments of the dead. 

If you wanted to succeed, then you couldn't draw attention to yourself. 

You waited until The Handler sent you out on a mission with Lila. It was something to test your merit as a team and while Lila was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet with excitement, you were eyeing the briefcase she was handed like it was your only lifeline. 

You barely paid attention to your mission briefing. You were sure that Lila was eager enough to want to take care of the mission all by herself. It was only a day trip, nothing that would require much planning or time, but it was your only chance to get your hands on a briefcase. 

You waited for your moment. Lila turned her back, trusting you wouldn't betray her, and you grabbed the briefcase. You were quick to use it, knowing that the company would be tracking your movements, and not caring. If you could just intercept Five before he stranded himself in the apocalypse, then maybe you could change _something_. You knew your mom would be pissed, but you didn't care. Something had to be done and if you were put on desk duty or worse, then you figured it would be worth it. If you couldn’t save your own life, then maybe you could save everyone else’s. 

You knew the day that Five would leave his childhood home and drastically change his life. You waited impatiently outside his home, waiting for him to stomp down the stairs so you could confront him. 

You saw him gearing up to use his power and rushed forward to grab his shoulder. 

He attempted to brush off your hold on him, but it was in that moment when he jumped forward in time and brought you with him. 

"Who the hell are you?" He hissed as he attempted to shake off your hand. He turned to look at you, his brows furrowed. "Back off," he insisted before he made to jump again. 

You were sure to keep your grip tight not only on his shoulder, but the briefcase in your hand as well. It would be your saving grace and you couldn't drop it now. 

"Just listen," you pleaded, hoping he wouldn't jump forward again. "It's too dangerous. You shouldn't time travel," you tried to get through to him. 

You heard Five scoff before he glanced around at the street around you. Moments before he jumped, it had been sunny and warm, but now it was snowing and chilly. "I think I've proven that I _can_ time travel," he argued. 

"Just because you can, doesn't mean you should," you insisted, digging your fingers into his shoulder when it looked like he was about to jump again. "Just let me get you back home, okay? And I'll explain as much as I can." 

"No chance," Five argued before he jerked away from you again. 

You stumbled forward in a rush, attempting to get a grip on him again, but you were knocked back by a random passerby as he bumped into you. 

"So sorry about that," the man apologized, reaching out to steady you. 

You were quick to shake him off, your focus on Five. Before he could jump again, you lunged forward, intent on following Five wherever he ended up. 

When you landed on your knees on a cracked sidewalk, resisting the urge to heave at the wave of nausea that hit you, you realized quickly that a few things had gone terribly, horribly wrong. 

You were surrounded by a desolate picture of burning buildings with smoke heavy in the air. There was a blast of heat from the building next to you as it began to further crumble, causing you to flinch away from it. 

"What is this?" You heard Five mutter as he turned around quickly, surveying the evidence of destruction all around him. "What did you do?" 

"Me? I told you to stop!" You insisted as you finally pushed yourself to your feet. "You were the one who was too damn stubborn to listen. I knew this would happen," you told him as you met his eyes. 

"If you knew this would happen, then why didn't you just say so?" Five asked as he moved to stand in front of you. "How the hell did you know _this_ was possible?" He continued as he gestured at the devasted street around you. 

"Because," you started as you glanced away from him. You weren't sure how much you were meant to reveal now. Would he even believe you about the Temps Commission without proof? "I know people who have been watching you," you settled on before you looked at him again, trying to see if he would accept your words. "I have something that might make you believe me," you told him before you moved to bring up the briefcase in your hand. 

You felt your eyes go wide at the sight of the handle in your hand. There was no briefcase attached. 

"No," you growled as you started frantically searching the sidewalk for a hint of your only salvation. You couldn't quite comprehend that the briefcase just wasn't there. It must have been dropped somewhere in the past while you were fighting to get to Five before he jumped without you. It wasn’t there. It was your only ticket out of this mess and it was gone. 

You should have already been gone by now. The more time you spent with Five in the apocalypse was just more time for the Temps Commission and The Handler to realize that you had gone rogue. It was going to be bad enough when Lila reported that you stranded her, but for your mother to realize you were trying to sabotage her? It wasn't going to end well for you. 

With a yell, you threw the briefcase handle away from you. You could feel your hands beginning to shake as reality set in. 

You hadn’t managed to change anything, except for one tiny detail. 

You were stranded. 

You were trapped in the aftermath of the apocalypse with Five without a hope of saving yourself. The only person who would come for either one of you was your mother. And you knew she was going to be less than pleased with you. She was going to punish you. 

You shivered at the thought of whatever she was going to come up with to torture you before your attention was drawn back to Five. 

You noticed him glancing around, as if attempting to figure out where he was, before he took off down the street. 

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" You couldn't help but ask as you jogged to catch up to him. 

"I have to find my family. I have to go home," Five insisted as he dodged bits of debris crowding the sidewalk. He had to climb over a fallen wall before he took off running, intent on getting to his destination. 

You didn't have the heart to tell him that everyone was dead. You were the last two people alive on the planet and that was only because you had both missed the main event. You couldn't help but berate yourself as you followed after Five. If only you hadn't dropped the briefcase. If only you had been able to convince Five to stop jumping. If only you had been smarter or faster or better, then this wouldn't have happened. 

You were trying to pour all of your focus onto Five, because you knew that if you let the true gravity of your situation crash down on you, then you wouldn't be able to control your power. You really didn't want to accidentally kill Five because you slipped into a panic attack, so you watched as Five finally made it back to the sight of his ruined childhood home. 

You tried to stay back as Five called out for people you knew were dead. Your power could sense all of the death surrounding you and it felt like you were struggling to breathe. You couldn't help but think that your power should be thriving now, surrounded by the one thing that powered it, but you realized that you needed life to command just as much as death in order to use them. There was no way to balance out the two and now it just felt like there was an empty void in your gut that was threatening to swallow you. 

You watched the devastation flash across Five's face when he realized that his loved ones weren't anywhere in sight. 

You were carefully trying to avoid thinking too much about your predicament as you followed Five over piles of rubble and debris. He didn't even seem to realize you were still following him as his feet carried him forward, restlessly searching for something. 

It wasn’t until you saw the first body that you realized what he was looking for among the piles of brick that littered the ground. 

You saw him kneel next to the body, his fingers trembling as he swept them over the man's shoulder. 

Five had found his family. 

You turned away from the scene, sure that you weren't quite meant to see this. You would let Five mourn in peace and then you would attempt to figure a way out of your situation. You ignored the sinking feeling in your gut that told you your only saving grace would likely come from your mother or sister and there were sure to be several strings attached. 

Unless you could somehow get Five to use his power, then you were doomed to a fate that was far worse than the one you had been trying to avoid. 

You closed your eyes for a brief moment, forcing yourself to take a deep breath, before your power seemed to snag on something just down the alley. You weren't even aware that you were slowly inching forward until you opened your eyes again to see that you were being drawn towards a body. 

The man was lying on his stomach, his face turned to the side so you could still see his features, with his head resting on a brick as if it was a pillow. You took note of the patchwork coat he was wearing and the chipped black polish on his nails. There was an umbrella tattooed on his left wrist, his skin marred with cuts and bruises he must have suffered near the end of his life, while dust coated his hair and the back of his coat. 

It wasn't uncommon to feel like your power had latched on to someone recently deceased. Usually it meant that if you reached out and brushed your fingers against their skin, then you would be able to get something from them. Images or words or final thoughts. It meant that they had information to pass on, but this felt different. 

This felt eerily like your power recognized him. He felt like someone you should know, even though you were certain you had never met him before. 

You absently reached out to touch him. Your fingers wrapped around his wrist, your palm covering his tattoo, as your eyes slipped closed. 

You had never felt such a connection to someone like this before. It felt like your power, possibly your entire being, had finally met its match. A part of you mourned the man you didn't even know, because it felt like you were supposed to. It felt like a missing piece of yourself had been suddenly discovered, but you were too late to complete the puzzle. 

It felt like you were meant for him just as much as he was meant for you. 

You felt a rush of emotions you couldn't quite pick apart the longer you held onto his arm. You felt like part of your life force was trying to inhabit his body, as if seeking to resurrect him, but you forced yourself to pull back before it could happen. You weren't really sure if it was possible, but you weren't willing to find out. 

When you opened your eyes, you noticed the vegetation that had been peeking through the bits of brick were all crumpled up and wilted. Your arms and legs were tingling, prompting you to try to shake them out as you stood. You weren’t sure how long you had stayed with the body, but it was long enough for you to sway on your feet as you attempted to ground yourself again. 

It wasn't until you glanced up that you noticed him. He was standing right in front of you, bathed in an ethereal blue glow as he stared down at his body with his brows furrowed. 

"What the fuck? Klaus?" You heard Five ask, his voice oddly breathless with confusion. You turned to see Five staring at the man in front of you with wide eyes before his gaze dipped to take in the body still lying at your feet. 

"Huh," the man breathed in wonder. When you looked back at him, he was carefully considering the 'hello' and 'goodbye' tattooed onto his palms before he lifted his head to consider you. "Well, this is new."

**Author's Note:**

> If you like this, then letting me know would make my day. I'm so nervous.


End file.
